Screening Versus Routine Practice in Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population of Lieto (LietoAF)

Screening Versus Routine Practice in Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population of Lieto

Screening Versus Routine Practice in Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly Population of Lieto

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of patient education on feeling the own pulse irregularity in the elderly population of Lieto. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) rises with age. Subjects have often symptoms like palpitation and discomfort but especially in elderly population there's significant quantity of persons who don't feel any symptoms and fail to seek for medical care for stroke prevention. The main objectives in this study are to find out the prevalence of AF in the elderly population of Lieto, to assess the feasibility and reability of patient education on feeling one's pulse irregularity and the affect to the quality of life of the participating subjects and monitoring the possible increased burden to the public health care system. The study contains two office visits with specified learning session and long-term phone-call follow-up.

The main objectives in this study are to find out the prevalence of AF in the elderly population of Lieto, to assess the feasibility of patient education on feeling one's pulse irregularity and the affect to the quality of life of the participating subjects and monitoring the possible increased burden to the public health care system. The study contains two office visits with specified learning session and long-term phone-call follow-up. A specially trained nurse will initially give a 10 min education on pulse palpation to each person and evaluate their capacity to learn pulse palpation. During followup visits the compliance of the patient and possible new arrhythmias plus quality of life issues are recorded and their ability of pulse palpation is evaluated by artificial hand where various kinds of pulses are transmitted.

The subject is educated to pulse palpation by registered cardiac nurse. The education time is limited to 10 minutes and done according preplanned education model

The subject is educated to pulse palpation by registered cardiac nurse. The education time is limited to 10 minutes and done according preplanned education model.

Based on learning session evaluated by nurse and objective evaluation of the learned skills by pulse-arm device and patient's pulse diary

During the 1 year followup visit information on atrial fibrillation is gathered form the patients records and by interview

Data on atrial fibrillation and thromboembolic complications is gathered from patient records and patient interview

Inclusion Criteria: patient aged 75 or over inhabitant of Lieto willing to participate Exclusion Criteria: chronic atrial fibrillation ongoing anticoagulant treatment permanent institutional care

Jaakkola J, Virtanen R, Vasankari T, Salminen M, Airaksinen KEJ. Self-detection of atrial fibrillation in an aged population: three-year follow-up of the LietoAF intervention study. BMC Geriatr. 2017 Sep 16;17(1):218. doi: 10.1186/s12877-017-0607-0.

Virtanen R, Kryssi V, Vasankari T, Salminen M, Kivela SL, Airaksinen KE. Self-detection of atrial fibrillation in an aged population: the LietoAF Study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2014 Nov;21(11):1437-42. doi: 10.1177/2047487313494041. Epub 2013 Jun 18.